13 Most Wanted Men
Artist: Andy Warhol
Year: 1964
Date of Action: April 18, 1964
Region: North America
Location: New York State Pavilion, Queens
Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion
Medium: Installation, Public Art
Confronting Bodies: Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Description of Artwork: A 20-by-20-foot mural depicting the mugshots of the 13 most wanted criminals of 1962. The mural was inspired by a New York Police Department booklet.
The Incident: "Andy Warhol’s most celebrated period, during the mid-1960s, included his only public work: a vast 20 by 20-foot mural entitled 13 Most Wanted Men, put on display at the World’s Fair in Queens in 1964. The painting was only visible for 48 hours before it was destroyed, a casualty of political censorship." Observer, Maika Pollack • 04/30/14
Results of Incident: It was covered with silver paint by order of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and, most likely, later discarded. When the Fair opened to the public, all that was visible was a large silver square. Although the original version of the mural was destroyed when it was painted over, Warhol—who was given around $4,000 or, in his words, “enough to have it silk screened”—created canvases of the mugshots a few months later.
Source:
• https://observer.com/2014/04/13-most-wanted-men-andy-warhol-and-the-1964-worlds-fair-at-the-queens-museum/,
• https://www.economist.com/prospero/2014/05/09/most-wanted
https://queensmuseum.org/2013/11/andy-warhols-13-most-wanted-men-and-the-1964-worlds-fair
"This was a tumultuous period in the gay rights movement as the NYPD was cracking down on homosexual activity in the city." Observer, Maika Pollack • 04/30/14